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Before Emma Ramos created her own Latino-focused web series, "BUTS," she was the Founder and Director of Radio Sinaloa, Cultural Public Radio in Mexico. Her eventual jump into a more creative role came after a push from a mentor who encouraged her to audition for drama school.

Her main goal, in all she does, is to make sure that the content is good and the compensation is fair.

“Coming from a financial standpoint, selling the show will make our investors really happy,” explains Ramos. “And by investors I mean the community of colleagues, friends and family who donated from the start because they felt we had something special.”

The first season of the show was crowdfunded and Ramos and the show’s co-creator, Irene Lucio, have prioritized making sure that it has the platform it deserves. While some entrepreneurs may be preoccupied with keeping their projects small so as not to lose control, Ramos understands that there comes a point when the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of inviting others in.

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Here she gives five tips that any entrepreneur can apply to her hustle:

Surround Yourself With The Right Mentors

“Ten years ago during my summer acting program in the UK, one of my teachers encouraged me to change my life a full 360. She said, ‘Make your artistic career number one and your business life your hobby.’ So I decided to make that into a reality. What gave me the needed courage was to have influential industry leaders validate my decision.”

Remember, You Have Transferable Skills

“[While working in corporate], I learned about structure and hierarchy. Both worlds move at a specific pace thanks to those two words. In both worlds (artistic and business) you must get things done on time and be aware and mindful of what you are adding to the overall equation/project.”

You Are Your Own Boss, For Better Or For Worse

“In the corporate world you don't need to find health insurance and a retirement plan, usually that's part of your contract. In the creative life, you are your own boss so you better call your unions or non-profits that can help and guide you. On the flip side, there’s a misconception about the creative life. My corporate friends think I have vacations all the time, because I don't have a 9-to-5 job. When in reality, it’s not easy to book vacations ahead of time because your calendar fluctuates constantly due to the nature of the business.”

Knowing Your Niche Helps

“Irene Lucio, co-founder of 'BUTS,' and I met at Crossing Borders Theater Festival — a celebration of Latino Theater…Inspired by stories like 'Broad City,' 'High Maintenance,' 'The Delusional Downtown Divas' (Lena Dunham's web series pre-'Girls') we knew that there was a new world to explore. 'East Willy B.' was at the time one of the only comedy web series that featured New York Latin talent. We knew we wanted to tell our stories through our lens and give a different perspective compared to what’s out there.

"We clocked what was unique about our partnership: we are both bilingual, we are both women and we are both Latin actors that feel underrepresented by our entertainment industry.

"At the time, when our reps would pitch us for leads on a series we would always get really awesome feedback, but there was always a 'but.' So, ‘BUTS’ encompasses all of these angles.”

It’s Okay To Sell

“First off, regardless of your ethnicity, we are all entitled to make a living as creatives . When you know you have a good idea it must be because it's either innovative, will benefit the company's ecosystem or will make your boss or client make more money. For the Latina entrepreneur who knows she has a great idea but is afraid to sell it, doesn't know where or how to start selling it or has no clue how to put a price on this idea, my advice would be: Look at the market, look at the company or client's 'needs calendar,' devote time for meticulously researching and find concrete ways to support your idea. The market gives you the price. You can always risk and ask for more or make an offer they can't refuse. Being okay with selling an idea is all about timing and listening to the environment's needs.”

My experience as the the Founder of Too Damn Young, a community + resource for teens and young adults, and growing up as a Latina in New York City, have given me an interesting perspective on entrepreneurship. By day I help small businesses and startups strengthen their digi...